We’re now slogging through the middle of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, which means it’s a perfect time to daydream about a summer road trip. And what better car to accompany us on such a trip than a full-size, (fake) wood-clad station wagon? Such as this 1989 Pontiac Safari, for instance, which looks very much in its natural habitat cruising along Interstate 70 on a hot summer day.

“Frankly, what would automotive life be like without a ‘woodie’ on the market?” That question was posed in Pontiac’s 1989 sales brochure – on one of the back pages that highlighted the Safari. The question itself was as fake as DI-NOC woodgrain trim. Pontiac officials knew that ’89 would be their woodie’s last year, and frankly, it’s amazing the Safari lasted as long as it did. By 1989, most of the demand for these cars had evaporated, and those buyers who remained were not families with kids to shuttle around, but rather grandparents searching out a proper wagon while such a thing was still made. Plus, a traditional body-on-frame wagon didn’t exactly fit the mold of the “Excitement Division” that Pontiac was crafting for itself.

Despite this conundrum, Safari wagons had deep roots within Pontiac’s history. “Safari” had served as a Pontiac model name since the dawn of the modern station wagon era, initially as the lesser-known 1955 twin of Chevrolet’s iconic Nomad. The Nomad/Safari (“designed for those who prefer suburban and country living”) ushered in the era of wagons as status symbols. For most of the following three decades, “Safari” was used as a label for various Pontiac wagons. Occasionally, several different models wore the Safari label during the same model year.

In the late 1970s, when GM downsized its full-size cars, Pontiac offered Safari wagon versions of its Bonneville and Catalina B-body models. During the early years of the B-body’s reign, wagons such as this were a common sight on roads and in elementary school parking lots. With 8-passenger capacity and over 80 cu. ft. of cargo space, these were the all-purpose vehicles of their day, as the above 1979 brochure outtake illustrates.

Our featured 1989 car is startlingly similar to the 1979 brochure picture. Beneath this consistency, though, Pontiac had a complicated relationship with GM’s B-body in the 1980s. The B-body Bonneville/Catalina (originally offered in 2-dr., 4-dr. and Safari wagon forms) disappeared from the division’s US lineup for 1982. Then it reemerged in 1983 as the Parisienne, but only in the 4-door and Safari wagon forms. The 4-door Parisienne was discontinued after 1986; yet despite small sales, the wagon soldiered on – now simply called the Pontiac Safari. Even with all the name-shuffling, the car itself was remarkably unchanged.

This lack of change was not unique to Pontiac, since all B-bodies were similarly static through the 1980s, but this sentiment is magnified in the Safari’s case because the whole wagon segment was quickly disappearing. Parents, who comprised wagons’ core customer base, were rapidly shifting their automotive allegiance to minivans and SUVs instead.

In the late 1980s, Pontiac branded itself as “The Excitement Division,” and it’s amusing to read sales prose to see how the marketing team correlated Excitement with a lumbering 4,100-lb. wagon of yesteryear. For 1989, that correlation focused on practicality. “Sporty is one thing,” noted the Safari brochure, “but when cargo and crew are on the loading list, capability is everything.”

For the Safari’s final three years, consistency was valued right up there with capability. Very few changes were introduced in those years. Seasoned Safari hunters, though, can easily distinguish one of the 5,146 1989 examples by the single change brought forward for that model year – rear three-point seat belts, the anchors of which can be seen through the side windows.

This particular Safari appears to be well equipped – or at least it sports three options that are readily seen from the exterior: Simulated woodgrain trim, wire wheel covers and cornering lamps. Safari prices in 1989 ranged from $15,569 to about $20,000.

All ’89 Safaris came equipped with GM’s 307-cid 4-bbl. V-8. With 140 hp, this was far from a hot rod, but peak horsepower came at 3,200 rpm and the engine’s 255 lbs-ft of torque peaked at 2,000 rpm, giving the big wagon effortless enough power for moving two tons of traditionalism down the road.

Spotting the differences between Safaris and GM’s other three B-body wagons can sometimes be challenging, for these models epitomize badge engineering. On the exterior, the tail lights differ on all four wagons (spotter’s guide above), as do the grilles.

Inside, Pontiacs offered a three-spoke steering wheel, four round gauge cut-outs and a different dash and trim layout than their closely-related kin. With similar pricing, options and designs, reasons for picking one over the others likely had more to do with dealer stock and brand loyalty than a customer’s affinity for a particular instrument cluster.

Pontiac’s main difference over other GM wagons came in 1990 – there was no 1990 Pontiac Safari, while the other three B-body wagons carried over for yet another year with few changes. Those other wagons even got a new lease on life with the 1991 B-body restyle, but for Pontiac’s full-size wagon, 1989 was the end of the line.

Full-size station wagons are now a just speck in our collective rear-view mirror, yet it’s hard to look at one driving along an Interstate highway and not long to be in the driver’s seat. With this example, it was refreshing to see one being driven in its natural habitat – a long stretch of highway. Such a sight can even make a crowded highway like Interstate 70 look scenic. Well, at least to a Curbsider like me…

64 Comments

Beautiful example. Funny how it has the roof rack but is missing the deflector thing that curves down above the rear window. I dont think I’ve seen one like that. Makes the rear view look kind of “naked” and unfinished. That curved piece of chrome added a nice organic touch to excessive right angles of the rear styling.

I always liked the lighter blonde wood of the Poncho wagon, and the front clip is by far the most attractive. But having scrutinized the B wagons ad nauseum being such a fan of them… I have to say the lower trimmed wood of the Olds and Chevy looks better. Especially from the back, it just looks a bit fussy how it doesn’t line up with the top of the taillights on the Pontiac and Buick. Still, I’d adopt this one in a heartbeat.

I wonder if there were any leftover ’89s sitting on the lot next to the TranSport minivan in early 1990 at a few Pontiac dealers? Talk about an anachronism!

It’s amazing what a difference 10 or 15 years makes. Like Orrin below said these were abundant as beaters/taxis in the early ’00s. No one would have considered them vintage or interesting – at best they were generic old appliancs, at worst; hideous grannymobiles.

Today among a sea of grayscale crossovers and fastback sedans slathered with LEDs and touchscreens, the ’60s proportions, sheer styling, and wood trim capture a lot of attention in traffic. They’re a symbol of another era in society. No doubt, many still consider these clunky old cars, but the vintage charm has taken off in the past five years. Most of the beater examples are becoming history and truly mint ones are getting annoyingly expensive ($5k – 10k) for what was not long ago the epitome of the word “hooptie”. I doubt they will ever be super valuable classics like the 1960s versions, but I can definitely see how someone a bit younger would be driving one these days.

I do find these B-Body wagons extremely handsome. But yes, the Safari was absolutely out of place in the Pontiac lineup and its continued availability is puzzling. Was it there for standalone Pontiac dealers who still wanted a full-size wagon to sell?

I think the other divisions saw that Cadillac had profited by holding onto its last old fashioned car for pretty low production cost considering it was already 10 years old as a design and was using an carbed Olds engine.

They probably reasoned that it was worth a shot at keeping a big car, but hedged by keeping the wagon, not the sedan, as there was a chance it would attract not just the stereotypical aging traditionalist but somewhat younger, more family oriented people, in a way the Parisienne would not. It would also be cheaper to continue than the sedans, which had more design variations.

And, even if it didn’t work out as well for Pontiac, overall I’d say they guessed right as just enough traditionalists and families combined did buy these in the late 80s. They were still popular with moms until sometime in Bush Sr.’s term. I certainly rode in plenty of them around then.

My last Safari “safari” was in Washington D.C. in 2000 or 2001. At that time, DC taxis consisted heavily of late 80s B Wagons, and I attended two youth leadership conferences in those years. Each time I had taken taxis to and from Union Station to the conference center, and got back seat time in a Custom Cruiser twice, but remember the three-spoke wheel in the Pontiac. I’m sure those taxis are all gone now; in retrospect I’m sure it was a parade of CCs in line at the Union Station queue. But they weren’t yet classics, then, just tough old cars.

This is a beautiful example of the breed, and it does make me yen for a roadtrip. I think my favorite Poncho wagon is that clamshell Catalina Safari Tom K. posted a few years ago.

I cannot tell you how often I’ve cruised that portion of I-70, most recently last summer! Cruised through Hermann on the train, too. Mom went to school in Hermann early last century, and she is in the large photo along with her brother and sister in the old school museum, as well. Literally walked the railroad tracks from Berger every school day, too.

Hermannhof Winery has the best wine, in my opinion. Try and buy a bottle of “White Lady” – it’s delicious!

Back to the station wagon in question: A very nice sight, and those cars were made exactly for interstate cruising. Nice it is still driven, too. I still have a soft spot for the B body Gms, even though I never had a chance to own one – we were into small, economy K-Cars back then, with a small budget to boot!

How I would love to get my hands on a tri-five Nomad or Safari! Dreams…

We were heading back home from a visit with family in Mid Missouri when I saw this Safari. Typically, I avoid as much of I-70 as possible, since it’s crowded and cluttered, however on this occasion it was impossible to do so. Seeing this car made our trip down I-70 rewarding.

I was in Hermann a few years ago – taking my kids to the Gasconade County Fair. It’s a great place to visit.

Eric:
When I googled 1989 Pontiac Safari this evening, I did not anticipate seeing my 1989 Pontiac Safari cruising down Hwy 70. Yes, I am the owner, and, yes, that is me driving the car. I have a cottage at the Lake of the Ozarks, and for the past 19 years, the Safari wagon has been my mode of transportation to get there and back from St. Louis. When I purchased it in 1998, it had 42,000 miles on it, and I only paid $5,000 for it. It only has 140,000 miles on it now. I really didn’t plan on keeping it this long, but it’s been the best, most reliable car I’ve ever owned. The 307 V8 is a bit sluggish for a car of it’s size, but despite its age, it doesn’t burn or leak oil.

Anyway, I just wanted to say that I enjoyed your article, and the email trail that followed. Someone said that I looked young to be driving it, which was nice. When you took the pictures last summer, I was 64.

Kent, I’m glad you found your car’s pictures here and that you’ve enjoyed the article! It’s great find out the story behind your Safari, too. Your car appears to be in beautiful condition, and I wouldn’t have guessed that it had 140,000 miles on it. I hope you continue to enjoy it.

Seeing your Safari on I-70 made my day last year when I saw it. And I’m guessing that reading folks describe you as a “young enthusiast” must have made yours today!

Eric, your first picture really nails your location; I was in Hermann just 36 hours ago! Hermann is the seat of Gasconade County and Zackman is right; that area is wine country with many award winning wines coming from there.

While I rather like this Safari, it’s a good reflection of Pontiac’s bi-polar personality during the 1980s (and, I would offer it started in the early to mid-’70s) of highly traditional cars such as this mixed in the same sales lot with the performance themed Firebird, Fiero, etc.

The interior picture got me to wondering – how many cars currently on the market have their accelerator pedals hinged to the floor? VW does, but beyond that I cannot say.

The pedal was not hinged at the floor. It was still a floating pedal but it extended to the floor. The pedal’s base did rest on the floor and pretty well acted as a pivot point. That said, you could lift the pedal to install a floor mat under it. Earlier Parisiennes used a Chevrolet style gas pedal.

The D-body Cadillacs of this era did use a floor hinged pedal and required special floor mats to accommodate it.

That is a sharp car, I want it! The older I get, the more I want one of the old full size wagons. I had the Olds version of this, a 79, which looks very similar to this 89. To this day, I can truly say it was the most dependable, easiest car to work, on I ever owned. ( well maybe other than the 72 Gremlin ). Wish I had that big Olds now, I will be on the lookout for a Pontiac like this one in the article.

Which model year was the last for a Pontiac engine in the B body? I assume that the US market Parisienne always had non-Poncho motors but not sure about that either. Charting GM engine choices in the 80s can be a bit confusing…

I think the last time you could get one with the 265 or 301cid V8 was 1981, but with the 307 available by then I don’t know as you’d want to. I believe the 400 was optionally available in the ’77 Bonneville and Catalina sedans and wagons.

1981 was the last year Pontiac built its own V8s, period, B-body or otherwise. The revived Parisienne initially used the Chevrolet 305, but eventually switched to the Olds 307 (from past discussion here, the switch was made during the 1986 model year, and affected both sedans and wagons). All GM B-body wagons used the Olds 307 between a point during the 1986 model year and the end of the “box” styling generation in 1990. This was true of Caprice wagons even though the Caprice sedan continued to use the 305.

The last year for the 400 or 403 in full-size Pontiac wagons had to be either ’78 or ’79, and the last year for the 350 had to be either ’79 or ’80.

As already stated 1981 was the last year for Pontiac V8’s. In Canada though, the Pontiacs from 1977 had an engine line-up that mirrored the Chevrolet engines used in the US.

1979 was the last year for a 403 and there may have been a few left over 400’s that made it into a B-body Pontiac that year. 1980 you could still get a 350 in 1980, Olds, Chev or Buick, after that nothing over 5.0L.

I forgot to add, according to the old brochures I have, on about Nov 1985, production switched from 305 Chevrolet engines to 307 Oldsmobile engines for Chevrolet and Pontiac wagons. This was done so that all wagons use the same powertrain from that point onwards.

I am not sure when or if Pontiac sedans were completely switched to 307 engines in 1986. In addition some Canadian market Chevrolet Caprice sedans got 307 engines in 1987. This was unusual because cars manufactured in Canada always used Chevrolet engines. It wasn’t until Parisienne and Station wagon production ended in Oshawa and moved to the USA that the 307 started to be used in these cars.

I had a gold ’77 model year Catalina wagon, with the 400 4bbl and Rallye II wheels, that matched the body color. Although it wasn’t a “woody” as is the subject car, it was a beautiful car, none the less. It was also very quick for its size and would handily outrun an IROC-Z. I always loved to see their reaction, when they were left in the dust! That car met an untimely end on an unfortunate Christmas night, when it was brutally vandalized, beyond my capability for repair. I was saddened to see her go

Contrary to what’s written here, the instrument panel is not unique to the Pontiac version of the B wagon. When they were first offered in 1977, each of GM’s B/C bodies had their own dashboard, seat and door trim, and steering wheels, including the wagons (except Cadillac since they didn’t have a wagon). Those same dashboards continued after the 1980 facelift which affected the outside more than the inside. But Pontiac’s unique dash (and unique sheetmetal and trim ahead of A pillia) came to a halt with the end of US production in 1981. Pontiac of Canada immediately switched over to Chevy bodies and interiors, with a few Pontiac-specific pieces to separate them, including the grille and taillight inserts, wheel covers, and the steering wheel (the latter two items still available from other Pontiacs that were still in production). When full-size Pontiacs returned to the US via Canada, the rebadged Chevies hit American Pontiac showrooms. After a year and a half the rear two-thirds of the 1981 Bonneville Brougham sedan returned to both countries, mated to a Chevy front end with a Pontiac grille insert. Inside, these still had Chevy Caprice dashboards with Pontiac steering wheels. Wagons always had much fewer differences behind the A-pillar, so the four brands were mostly identical. Olds and Buick wagons continued with their distinctive dashboards to the end though. It also looks like some of the mild updates to the Caprice dash (new fonts, less woodgrain) didn’t carry over to the Pontiac which retained the 1977 look.

The Parisienne from 1977-81 was basically very similar to the US Bonneville, including the dash and interior. The only major difference was that it used Chevrolet engines.

The Parisienne continued on in the 1982 line up in Canada, but now was essentially a rebadged Chevrolet. This is when it adopted the Chevrolet interior. GM of Canada’s limited resources only allowed for minor changes from Chevrolets, but they were had much experience at turning Chevy’s to Pontiacs. This Canadian market car was brought to the US market for the 1983MY. For 1985, the model was updated with the new quarter panels and rear panel from the 1980-81 Bonneville. It was sometime around here when production was moved from the US from Canada as B-body production was ending in Canada.

Station wagons used the same body shell from the cowl back. This shell was based on the Chevrolet/Pontiac sedan lines, which differed from the Olds/Buick body lines. This is especially noticeable in the 1977-79 wagons, less so on the 1980-90 wagons. Front sheetmetal from an Olds or Buick wagon will not interchange with a sedan, despite looking identical.

The 1977-79 Buick wagons actually did use the same front fenders as the Buick sedans, necessary so they could retain the traditional Buick ventiports. This required a rather awkward filler panel to be inserted around the rear-view mirror area to mate the Buick front fenders to the Chevy/Pontiac front doors. In 1980, the Buick LeSabre dropped the ventiports, and they remained only in vestigal form on the Electra (including the Electra Estate Wagon) as slight indentations on a silver bodyside molding which didn’t actually protrude into the fender. This allowed post-facelift 1980-90 Buick B-body wagons to use the Chevy/Pontiac front fenders. This practice continued with the redesigned 1991-96 Roadmaster wagons, which used Caprice front fenders and a Chevy front clip (with a Buick grille insert) rather than the unique fenders and headlights from the Roadmaster sedan, although I think the sedan fenders would have fit fine and have seen a photo of a Roadmaster wagon so modified. The ’91-’92 Olds Custom Cruiser also used the Chevy fenders and front clip with an Olds-specific grille insert.

I don’t have a Hollander in front of me but I am fairly certain the 1977-79 Buick wagon fenders don’t interchange with the sedans. The problem was the lower body lines, not the upper lines. If you look at wagons, the used the Chevrolet/Pontiac doors where the lower body line causes the lower sheetmetal to indent. This is also the case with the Buick/Olds wagons and their fenders have this same feature. While the Buick/Olds sedans have a body line that causes the sheetmetal to protrude below it.

The filler panel was there to help merger the upper body lines because although the fenders don’t interchange, they were made to look as close as possible to the sedans. This was probably the easiest (cheapest) way to do it to ensure the wagon still looked like the sedan.

This is also the case with the 1980-90 wagons. The Buick and Olds fenders “appear” identical to the sedans, but they aren’t. Again it relates to the lower body lines on the wagons using the Chevrolet pattern. The only wagons that shared front fenders for 1980-90 was the Chevrolet and the 1982-90 Pontiac Parisienne/Safari wagons.

la673

Posted January 26, 2017 at 8:47 PM

I’ve never verified that the ’77-79 Buick wagon front fenders interchange with the sedans, but assumed they did because (a) they had holes or indentations in the front fenders for the portholes unlike the other three brands, and (b) if they were going to use a different fender than the other three, why not save money by using the sedan fender? And how weird it is that if it was a wagon-only fender, they wouldn’t shape it to flow properly into the front door without needing a filler panel.

Wow square guages, Some car makers are trying to bring this style back as a retro touch to the modern cars. I know Lincoln tried to do it with the Navigator at one point, and it did give the Navigator a retro cool feel for the interior.

I can’t find many good pics of the 1980-81 Pontiac dash online (the ’77-’79 was a bit rounder and different). Here’s another from a 1980 coupe, the only bodystyle that offered bucket seats (’79-’81 only). Not many options on this one, hence the almost blank center wood panel.

Wow I Looooooooooooooove the center counsel. I get so angry that American cars of the 70’s & 80’s, and even the early 90’s had so few center floor counsels. Except on sports cars & Sport Edition Trim packages.

Otherwise like 80% of the cars had the senior citizen lever pull down column transmission shifter. Boy the center counsel looks darn good in the pic above. thanks.

Joe Yoman

Posted January 26, 2017 at 7:55 AM

I wouldn’t have ordered one of these cars without the bucket seats and center console. The full gauge package and sport wheel were a must too.

la673

Posted January 26, 2017 at 4:30 PM

The center console and I think the buckets as well were lifted right out of the mid-size Pontiacs (LeMans, Grand Am, Grand Prix). The console mated beautifully to the dash in those cars, but in the Bonneville there’s a gap between them. They were offered only in the standard Bonneville (not Brougham) coupe from ’79-’81 and didn’t seem to be very popular. Eventually, the difficulty of installing an airbag, headrest, and shoulder belt for the front center passenger spelled doom for the bench seat, along with declining popularity. Except in pickup trucks where they’re still popular.

The sport steering wheel looked great, but I wonder if I’d find it tiring on long drives due to the lack of well-positioned thumbrests.

Not many options? I wouldn’t say that. From here I can see, AC, Cruise, PW, PL, AM-FM-cassette, & full gauges. Likely has tilt as well. AFAIR, the only optional items that big center panel needed to accommodate were the rear defroster and power antenna switches.
Also it just occurred to that all the BOP B-body coupes of this era offered optional buckets for a time. Only Chevy was the odd one out.

la673

Posted January 26, 2017 at 4:15 PM

I guess what I was looking at was the mostly blank center panel above the HVAC controls. Available options that filled this panel included a digital clock, a rear defroster switch, a mechanical passenger-side rearview mirror control, and a power antenna up-down switch (it wasn’t integrated into the radio, at least on the 1977 model I drove). The pic below shows some of these. In addition to the digital clock, an analog clock was available that filled the center gauge position used by the fuel-economy gauge on this one (we should have a CC feature on the rise and fall of fuel-economy gauges, which informed the driver you were getting great mileage whilst coasting and lousy mileage when accelerating).

While on the subject of this little section of Bonneville/Catalina dash trim, I feel a need to point out the now-unthinkable lack of plastic plugs to fill holes resulting in optional equipment not fitted to a particular car. These were common in imports by this time, but still largely verboten on nicer American cars. As a result, there were about 5 versions of this little panel made to accomodate whatever options were fitted on a particular car – up to three or four of the small holes for switches and a large one for the optional clock. If that weren’t enough, note the small difference in the 1977-79 panel (as shown below) and the ’80-’81 panel I posted above. On the ’77-’79 one continuous long piece of woodgrain plastic stretched from left of the headlamp switch to the glovebox, necessitating about five different versions of a large panel. On the ’80-’81, the piece above the radio/HVAC controls was separated from the woodgrain panel to the left and right so that widely varying piece at least would be alot smaller.

Yes! Very reminiscent of ’60’s full-sized Pontiacs. Looking closer, I see that this wonderful survivor even has the bumper with the notch in the center from the Caprice of that era-just a different grill, and then taillights. Badge engineering, indeed. At least they started with a wonderful car-I would give up the pickup if I could have this for the run to the big box store. And then it could also be the highway cruiser for the run home to see the folks.

Correct – I used it because it had a better view of the dash than any wagons I found online (which had trim that corresponded to a standard Bonneville or Catalina). The dash is the same though.

I think only Buick offered loose-cushion seats in a B-body wagon, and even there not the really nice ones from the Park Avenue. I think the problem may have been that the extra paddding would have prevented the rear seat from folding flat, or maybe there was still a perception that wagon buyers were practical folk who didn’t care about luxury.

Wow, Pontiac kept this dinosaur around until 1989, just one year before they would release the ultra modern futuristic Pontiac Trans Sport MPV van.

In 1989 this station wagon would have appeared very ancient (especially against the Ford Taurus/Sable wagon)..not even the updated Delco Am/Fm radio could help the interior. The interior brochure would look modern say in 1981. To me the Caprice Classic (1989)-which the Safari is based off was old looking as well, but at least the composite Euro headlights and modern side mirrors and (wood-less) panel trim in favor of a single solid color. Actually made the Caprice look old, but sufficiently updated enough to carry it a few more years before the all new (Fish-like) replacement Caprice Classic wagon came along. The dash board of the Caprice Classic also appeared much more “of the time” than the Safari, Buick, and Oldsmobile versions.

Amazing how little they changed the Safari van since it’s inception. Pretty much the only changes were the upgraded radio, a few engine tweaks here and there, new-ish hubcaps or alloy wheels, instrument cluster, eventually adding a 3rd rear brakelight, updated side mirrors, a slightly different grille and front bumper, an upgraded steering wheel, opera side turn signal and a few other minor tweaks in package trim options etc.

crazy to think these few changes were enough to keep people coming into show rooms to grab this station wagon.

A really nice find Eric. I don’t remember the outside mirrors being aero-style like that perhaps they are a retrofit? One thing I do remember is the oversized floor-hinged accelerator pedal and bread loaf shaped fold-down center armrest. You don’t have to move the heel of your foot as much to press the pedal and that makes for a more relaxed cruising experience. The sporty 3-spoke steering wheel reminds me of this design on the BMW.

Calibrick, both Chevrolet and Pontiac used those Aero mirrors, 1986 for Chev, 1988 for Pontiac and onwards. When it came to these B-bodies and their similarities, there were really two groups Chevrolet/Pontiac and Oldsmobile/Buick.

All the great info today makes me realize how little I really know about these wonderful cars. Had no idea those aero mirrors ever existed for the box cars let alone came only on the Chevy and Pontiac wagons. Then there was the lesson about only Cadillac having the hinged gas pedal, the Chevy a regular one and Buick somewhere in between. Then seeing that gorgeous 3-spoke BMW-style sport wheel which I never knew existed either, I thought it was the “Grand Am” wheel the whole time. Someone mentioned the special mats required on the Cadillac and mine has those. They consist of a very complicated plastic “foundation” with straps that attach to the mats. Why a simple floor hook wouldn’t have worked I have no idea. The hook became the benchmark after about ’90, in response to unintended acceleration concerns in the industry. The Buick pedal design seems ripe for having a stuck floor mat in there.

I loved those Aero side mirrors. It’s amazing how the Chevy Caprice had just a few touches of upgrades that made it still competitive with the “mother load” of all wagons. The flawless (design wise) 1986 Ford Taurus/Sable wagons, were just perfection and cheated the wind. So for these dinosaurs to battle with them and still sell at the height of Taurus/Sable wagon popularity is a feat of it’s own.

The Chevy Caprice did a great job combating them in 1987. With upgraded guage cluster set, radio, aeroside mirrors, and most important composite Euro headlights, tweaks to the accent side body strip, wood-less side body panel in favor of solid color. Chrome “Plate” style hubcaps, third brake light (introduced 1986). Literally made the Caprice version wagon pretty updated (not modern looking). But revised enough for it’s buyers, the Caprice could go toe to toe with the Ford wagons pretty well. the other three not so much.

A great write up on a great car. I’ve always been a fan of the B bodies, having owned an 84 Caprice Coupe, back in the mid 90’s, and currently restoring an 80 Caprice Coupe. I worked for Avis back in the 78-80 period so, drove all kinds of B bodies then. The taillight spotters guide is a nice touch! Of course, there always has to be a fly in the ointment and here it is…for some ungodly reason, Chevrolet switched the Caprice wagons over to using the Buick Estate Wagon tail lights and housing in 1985, but reverted back to the Caprice units from 86-90. Must have had too much Buick inventory?

We had a ’67 and then a ’70 Safari growing up, both loaded to the gills. I learned to drive, and took my driving test, in the ’70 when I was 15-16 in 1973. Oh, that car gave me thrills. Without even putting my foot on the gas, the car would float gently down our neighborhood streets at a good clip, such was it’s power. The first time I drove, after getting my license, I descended a very steep hill. My heart was racing, and my body felt a kind of arousal I’ve never experienced since. Weird.

When the last Country Squire rolled off the line in ’91, I was kind of hoping they’d do a proper send off, like a limited run of loaded “Heritage Editions”, or along that line.
Alas, it just “faded away”.

Great write up and very nice car. On thing though, the Parisienne was introduced to the US in 1983 not 1984. I would also hardly call the 307 offering “effortless” power. They are smooth, quiet and reliable and will actually get pretty good mileage, but sluggish at best.

Regarding the Parisienne, I’ve seen both ’83 and ’84 referenced for its introduction to the US. I went with 1984 in the article for two reasons: I have a Parisienne review from Car and Driver’s Oct. 1983 issue that talks about the car being introduced by the spring of 1984. Second, is Pontiac’s US sales literature — the B-body is missing from the 1983 brochures that I’ve seen, but in the 1984 brochure, the Parisienne is featured, with a tag line saying something like “The Full-Size Pontiac is Back!”

I have seen folks reference US Parisiennes from 1983, but didn’t find any primary source materials from GM pointing to the existence of 1983 Parisiennes. I’m not discounting the possibility of such a thing existing, but I went with ’84 in this piece due to what I was able to dig up.

I can provide numerous sources to support the Parisienne was introduced in 1983 to the US market. For some reputable books, there is the Standard Catalog of American Cars 1976-99, 100 years the American Auto by the Auto Editors of the Consumer Guide, and 75 Years of Pontiac by John Gunnell. Here is an excerpt from the Standard Catalog of Pontiac, read the 1983 paragraph:

The reason it wasn’t in the 1983 Pontiac full line brochure is because I believe it was a late model year intro. I can’t explain the C/D article, but I would like you to share that (if possible) as I’d love a copy.

I’m attaching here the C&D review from October, 1983. They say at the beginning of the article that the car is due in showrooms in the spring, and consistently refer to the American Parisienne in the future tense. This is what prompted me to write 1984!

Given the what you’ve shared, I wonder if the C&D folks wrote the article months beforehand (and planned it for the 1984 New Cars issue), but then GM decided to begin Parisienne sales early — and C&D never updated their review? It is a little bit mysterious.

Eric; it’s a combination of slightly poor writing and your misinterpreting the text. Back then, print magazines articles were typically written up several months early, except for last minute news items. And these magazines were delivered like a month or more early.

As I read it, it tells me that the Parisienne wiil (have been) in showrooms this (not next year’s) spring. Next spring is just too far away to refer to as “this spring”, since this magazine probbaly came out in late summer.

They would have had to say “coming in spring 1984” for me to interpret it the way you did. But I can see where it might be confusing.

Also keep in mind that the Parisienne was a super rush job; there’s no way that they would have had one for the press to test a year before its actual introduction. I have reason to believe it was less than a year from the time GM made the decision to its actual introduction.

The second energy crisis was abating in 1982, and I’m guessing it was in the fall of ’82 or so that GM made the decision, and than made it happen asap. of course, it didn’t take much to do so. Who knows; it might have been a matter of just a few months even. The changes for the US were absolutely minimal.

Bill Mitchell

Posted January 26, 2017 at 5:51 PM

Thanks for sharing the article Eric.

Paul’s explanation makes sense, with the lead time and the fact that every magazine arrives well before the month that’s printed on it’s cover (I have some almost 2 months advanced). I did read some unreliable sources that said the car was introduced May 1, 1983. This corresponds with the article saying May and the low production numbers in 1983. The 1984 production numbers were significantly higher, suggesting a shortened 1983 run.

As Paul suggested changes would be minimal, mostly getting the car to EPA standards and the an imperial measure instrument cluster. Canadian emission standards were considerably lower in these years which is why Canadian cars still used non-computerized carburetors. But retrofitting a EPA compliant engine wouldn’t have been difficult since it was already being made for the US market Caprice.

la673

Posted January 26, 2017 at 9:06 PM

It still strikes me as odd though that GM went through the trouble of exporting Parisiennes from Canada to the U.S. instead of just changing a few parts of American Caprices to turn them into Pontiacs.

I think the 307 cars are pretty effortless around town. You don’t really have to press the accelerator just put pressure on it to move about, even from a stop. I don’t mean from some tricky throttle linkage with strong tip in, that would give a spastic feel which these cars don’t have. We all talk about peak torque and how it comes on low with the 307, 1,600 or 2,000 RPM depending on the source. We never look at torque curves but my guess is that the 86-90 high-swirl 307 is pretty fat between idle and 2,000, fatter than the other GM small blocks.

I know you and I disagree on this Calibrick. but I had almost 12 years of ownership on one of my 307 B-bodies so I am very familiar with them (I had others as well). I really liked my B-bodies, and I had a 403 to swap in place of the 307 on my Oldsmobile wagon had the car not been destroyed. I can say that the 305 powered B-body wagon we had for about 12 years too was much peppier.

While I agree the low end torque is good for a 5.0L V8, stronger than a 305, the power drops very quickly after that. The swirl port head engines have to have one of the most narrow power bands of any V8 I have ever driven. At least with a 305 or 302 when you had to kick it down a gear it had something their, a 307 on the other hand just made more noise. Compared to the 305 and 302 powered fullsize cars I had, these 307’s were notably more sluggish. And I experienced the same difference in the A/G-body cars (we had a lot of Chevrolet powered A/G-bodies in Canada).

Oh, how I love the B/D bodies. I love the ’91 Fuel injected Cadillacs so much I have two of them. Best. Cars. Ever. Big, comfortable, and made out of cast iron so nothing breaks in them. One feature that these cars have that has gone away is long seat cushions so they support your legs nicely. I spend 8-10 hours a day in the car and there’s nothing like these for easy, smooth, comfortable driving. GM never should have stopped making them and it never should have stopped making the G bodies either.

I haven’t seen another one of these in YEARS in Atlanta. Mine had to come from Missouri and is in the process of getting an LS 6.0 swap. These are much rarer due to the carburetors than the fuel injected Roadmasters, and a lot of them, as noted previously, died from taxicab use.

If you had to name a future collectible from the ’80’s, people might have then nominated the EXP or Nissan Pulsar or Buick Reatta or Corvette ZR1. . . something, but today the wood sided wagon is rare and collectible.